Typical office desks have the central main drawer reserved for pencils and other commonly used items. These days, whether at home or at a business, most office desks typically have a computer and an associated keyboard situated thereon. In many offices, it is convenient to place the keyboard on a shelf of a nearby stand or on a retractable shelf positioned within the desk itself. Unfortunately, the number of pieces of office furniture is often limited, and a choice between a central pencil drawer and a computer shelf is often made.
The manufacturers of desks must produce two types of desk inserts--drawers and computer shelves--to provide in the finished desks. Further, distributors and retail outlets must accommodate the needs of different consumers and deliver, stock and market both types of desks. Extra expenses for fabrication, assembly, inventory, shipping and receiving, and sales for two basically similar desks are therefore incurred.
In the past there have been attempts to provide a conventional drawer that can convert into a platform or shelf for a keyboard. One such attempt involves removing the drawer and replacing the drawer slide hardware onto a separate shelf. This requires a significant amount of conversion work and associated time to convert from one mode to the other. More importantly, many consumers have difficulty with or do not like to undertake such tasks.
In another attempt, a conventional desk drawer is provided with a hinged front wall, which can be tilted forward so that the computer operator's hands can be placed there to operate a keyboard within the drawer. The drawback here is that the front wall of the drawer is attached by necessarily small hinges, which rapidly wear or are broken easily, especially since the wall is continually used as a hand support. Further, the hinged portion is always somewhat unstable. Also, the side walls of the drawer interfere with free use of the space surrounding the keyboard, requiring an operator to sit directly in front of the keyboard with the arms restricted to a relatively narrow corridor of movement.
Accordingly, there is a need for a simplified and sturdy arrangement for converting a conventional desk drawer into a shelf for a keyboard.